Weft-end clearer for weft-replenishing looms



Aug. 11, 1925. 1,549,715

- L. M. COTCHETT WEFT END 'CLEAHER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Jan. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet L Aug. 11, 192sv L. M. COTCHETT WEF'I' END CLEARER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING 100MB 2 sheets-$heet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1925 Patented Aug 11, i925.

UNITE LOUIS M. GOTCHETT, 01" WEST NEWTON,

arem OFFICE.

MASEaACl-IUSETTfi, ASSIGNOR TO THE STAF- SETTSu Application filed January To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis M. Corrorrn'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Newton, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in VVeft- End Clearers for Weftlteplenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention is applicable to automatic weftreplenishing looms of the class in which a depleted filling-carrier occupying a working shuttle on the layof the loom is expelled prior to complete exhaustion of its filling and replaced by a fresh filling-carrier loaded with filling. This'replenishing operation leaves the filling from the expelled fillingcarrier extended from the said filling-carrier up to and through the shuttle-eye and from the latter inward toward the selvage of the cloth that is being woven, the filling having been parted close to the said selvage.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for ensuring withdrawal of the said end of filling from the said guide eye on the first pick of the shuttle toward the opposite side of the loom, and preventing such end from being carried into the shed of the warpthreads and combining within the shed with the first pick of the fresh filling introduced into the shuttle, to produce a double, pick, which latter would tend to lower the quality of the goods being woven.

The invention consists in a weft-end clearer comprising a member having a series of interstices adapted to receive an end of fillin yarn trailing upward from an expellec filling-carrier into the shuttle-box of a loom, which is expanded prior to a replenishing operation, to permit such end to enter aninterstice, and which closes to seize such end and hold the same during movement of the shuttle toward the opposite side of the loom. The specific form, construction, and arrangement of the said member, as well as the means and manner of actuating the same, may vary in practice. Herein I have presented an illustrative embodiment of the principles and features of the invention, in which embodiment the member aforesaid is constituted by a coil-spring extending across the path taken by an expelled filling-carrier in falling from a shuttle ocwnrr-nnn crinnnnn ron wnrr-nnrnnnisnlne LOOMS.

15, 1925. Serial No. 2,566.

cupying the shuttle-box of an automatic fillng-replenishing 100111, the said spring being adapted to contract and seize between its coils an end of filling extending upwardly from said filling-carrier into the shuttle.

The said illustrative embodiment of the device is shown by the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 is an elevation of certain of the parts at the filling-changing end of an automatic filling-replenishing loom, showing the invention applied.

Fig. '52, is a side view of the same, in section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Having reference to the drawings,

At 1 is shown a portion of the lay-beam, with a working shuttle 2 in place within the shuttle-box at thefilling-replenishing side of the loom. Certain portions of the mechanism for effecting the change, through the substitution of a fresh fullfilling-carrier for a substantially depleted one occupying the shuttle, are indicated, being shown as having just transferred a fresh filling-carrier from the magazine to the shuttle 2 and expelled the nearly empty old filling-carrier 5 from the shuttle, through the slot 4 in which the picker-stick 14E plays back and forth, and into the catcher-box 6. The usual chute 7 1? shown afiixed to the lay 1 at the rear of the s 0t 4.

As is well-known, when the substantially depleted filling-carrier 5 is expelled from shuttle 2 and down through the slot 4:, it leaves an end of yarn l6 trailing upward from it into the filling-containing chamber of the shuttle, outward from said chamber through the shuttle-eye 15, and inward along the front of the shuttle" toward the selva'ge of the cloth, adjacent which latter it has been cut by the usual weft-parting devices. The devices of the invention act to prevent this trailing end 16 from being drawn bythe shuttle into the warp-threads upon the next pick of the shuttle.

The coil spring 8 constituting in this instance the clearer-member has one end thereof engaged with a convenient anchorage. In this case the inner end of the spring is anchored to the loom frame in suitable manner, as by means of the eye 9 fixed to the loom frame. The coil-spring 8 extends from the said anchorage transversely outward below the chute 7 and is attached at its outer above the spring,

end to the actuating means. In this instance the said outer end is engaged with a movable member that is actuated by the picker-stick 1 f. Herein said end is hooked into an eye 10 formed in a swinging wire arm 11 which is pivoted at 12, by its upper end, to the front of the lay-beam. This arm 11 is bent forwardly to clear the chute 7, and terminates at its lower end in a loop 13 which fits around the picker-stick 14C.

The picker-stick 1 and arm 11 are uti lized in this case as advantageous means for expanding the coil-spring through entrance of the shuttle 2 into the shuttle-box at the replenishing side of the loom. As the shuttle passes home into the said shuttle-box at the end of its flight across the loom it pushes the picker-stick outward ahead of it, the outgoing movement of the picker-stick producing outward swinging movement of arm 11 and thereby extending the spring. Through this extension of the spring it is expanded, with separation of its coils or turns from one another to open up the interstices between such coils or turns. Hence the said interstices are open when the lay approaches and arrives at front center and the filling-change takes place. in the opened state of the interstices the trailing end 16 of filling connected with the ejected filling carrier 5 is free to enter the opening or interstice to which it happens to be presented. As the lay moves rearward, the in ward movement of the picker-stick for the purpose of picking the shuttle across to the opposite side of the loom operates to bring about closing of the turns or coils of the spring together so as to seize the said trailing end and hold the same as the shuttle travels to the opposite side of the loom.

When the inner end of the spring is engaged with a properly disposed anchorage on the loom-frame that does not accompany the lay as the latter swings rearward and forward, the movement of the lay forward carries the lower end of the chute forward as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to shield the spring more or less and project the descending expelled filling-carrier forward of the spring to thereby locate the trailing filling end at the front of the spring. The ensuing rearward swing of the lay carries the chute T as well as the shuttle, etc., rearward relative to the coil-spring, so that thereby the filling-end is drawn into one of the interstices of the coil spring.

In order to give a definite pulling action to the clearer member 8, the pivot 12 by which arm 11 is connected to the lay-beam is in this instance located at a point sufiiciently far inward toward the loom side to cause the point 10 of engagement of the coil-spring with the said arm to travel inwardly in a downwardly inclined path. Consequently, as the pickerstick swings inward in picking the shuttle the said point of engagement moves downward as well as inward. Thereby not only is the spring permitted to contract and seize the trailing filling-end, but the spring is swung down ard. This downward swinging movement of the spring draws the said filling-end outward from the selvage. Should the trailing filling-end not drop clear of the lay-beam after being detached from the shuttle, the repeated closing and vertical movements of the spring will operate to progressively feed it downward.

It is contemplated in certain instances to form the coil-spring 8 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, with the middle yarn-engaging portion closely wound to expand only slightly when the picker-stick 14c extends the spring so that the trailing weft-end 16 will be engaged and held firmly before the shuttle has made any great amount of movement inward toward the warps.

To protect the pickerstick 1a from being injured by the loop 13 a wear-plate or pad 17 is aifixed to the back of the pickerstick at the point where said loop slides up and down thereon as the picker-stick works.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A weft-end clearer for looms comprising a member having a series of interstices adapted to receive an end of filling yarn trailing upward from an expelled fillingcarrier into the shuttle-box of a loom, which is expanded to widen the interstices lengthwise of the series prior to a replenishing operation, to permit such end to enter an interstice, and which closes to cause the sides of the interstices to close together lengthwise of the series to seize such end and hold the same during movement of the shuttle toward the opposite side of the loom.

2. A weft-end clearer for automatic filling-replenishing looms, comprising a coilspring extending adjacent the path of an cxpellel filling-carrier, and combined with means for expanding it to receive between its coils the filling extending upwardly from said filling-carrier into the shuttle, said spring contracting to seize said filling and hold the same as the shuttle travels to the opp site side of the loom.

3. A weft-end clearer for looms comprising, in combination, a filling-engaging memher having a series of interstices adapted to receive a trailing filling end, and an actuating member pivotally engaged with the lay of a loom and adapted to be actuated by the picker-stick of said loom, combined with the fillingengaging member in such manner as to bring about opening of said interstices when the picker-stick is outward and closing thereof so as to clasp said filling end upon inward movement of said picker-stick.

4. A weft-end clearer for looms comprising a member having a series of interstices adapted to receive an end of filling yarn trailing upward from an expelled fillingcarrier into the shuttle-box of a loom, which is expanded to widen the interstices lengthwise of the series on entrance of the shuttle into said shuttle-box and which closes to cause the sides of the interstices to close together lengthwise of the series to seize such filling-yarn upon inward movement of the shuttle.

5. A weft-end clearer for looms comprising a coil-spring combined with the pickerstick of a loom, held expanded by the outwardly-positioned picker-stick to admit a trailing filling end between the coils, and contracting upon inward movement of the picker-stick to seize said weft-end between the coils. I

6. A weft-end clearer for looms comprising a coil-spring having one of its ends operatively combined with the picker-stick of a loom, and the other of its ends attached to a part of the loom not moving with the lay, contracting and moving downwardly upon inward movement of the picker-stick, to seize and draw downward a trailing filling end extending upward from an expelled filling-carrier into the shuttle-box of said loom.

7. A weft-end clearer for looms, comprising a member having a series of interstices adapted to receive a trailing end of filling extending from an ejected filling-carrier to the shuttle-box of a loom, and an actuating member which is actuated by the shuttle as it passes home into such shuttle-box to expand said interstices to receive the said trailing end, said member contracting to clasp said end when the shuttle moves from the shuttle-box to the opposite side of the loom;

LOUIS M. COTGHETT. 

